


Changes and Girl Talk

by UnrealRomance



Series: Impressions and Deductions [5]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-24
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-05-28 19:43:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6342523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnrealRomance/pseuds/UnrealRomance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thane AND Femshep P.O.V. in this one.</p>
<p>Thane comes upon a surprising sight in the kitchens and a few nights later, the girls have a talk and some shots.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Changes and Girl Talk

The addition of Tali to the team went smoothly. She was acquainted with half the specialists on board even before she joined Shepard full-time.

Zaeed seems impressed with how small, sweet and innocent she can be, while simultaneously being dangerous with a shotgun. Not in such a way as to be attracted to her, but still impressed.

Kasumi takes an instant shine to the young Quarian, and miss Chambers seems as fascinated as she usually is to speak to a new team member, though they met once before. They often congregate together and have laughter-filled conversations.

Tali seems to be acquainted with Miranda and Jacob, and though there seems to be some kind of bad blood there- she is nothing if not civil.

Her relationship with Grunt seems to consist of the young Krogan asking how easy it would be to kill her in one way or another and Tali answering with some variation of 'not if I got you first'. Shepard was especially amused at that development.

She and Garrus are as warm as they were before, when the three of them recruited me. He is the only other dextro teammate aboard, and as such they often share food and drink between them.

Samara is impressed with the upright morality Tali has developed so young, and Jack is delighted when Tali offers to upgrade her biotic implant.

Tali is sitting alone in the mess hall when I walk in for my morning tea. I'm so surprised to see her there, I pause and blink before speaking. "Tali?"

"Oh!" She jolts and blinks rapidly, the glowing luminescence of her eyes flickering. "Thane, right? I remember- from the tower."

She is slurring, though there are no alcoholic beverages in front of her. "How long has it been since you've slept?"

She weaves in her seat a bit and to my great chagrin, bursts into tears. She's hiding her helmeted face in her arms on the table. "I'm sorry! Ignore me."

I sigh softly and go through my normal routine. "What is the problem?" I ask as I pull out a tea bag and fill my cup with boiling water from the coffee maker.

She sniffles and lifts her head, though not enough to look at me. "I keep seeing...everything. When I close my eyes and there's nothing to do, or no one to distract me- I see them." Her voice breaks at the end.

' _Not so different from how a Drell would deal with trauma, I suppose.'_ I may be able to help. I am somewhat of an expert on distracting yourself from bad memories. Though I do not always succeed.

"If you'd like, I could make you some tea." I turn and tilt my head. "Sometimes it helps to talk."

She blinks and fidgets, fingers tugging at each other. "Okay."

' _She does not know me.'_ I must keep in mind that no matter how much I know of her from Shepard's stories and anecdotes, I do not really know _her_ either.

I make her a mug and take it to her, feeling the urge to smile when she scans the substance first. "It isn't specifically levo or dextro."

"It isn't, is it?" She uses a straw to link the drink to her suit. I'm certain it must filter it before it can get to her mouth, though I know not how. "Ohh!" She swallows and sighs. "It's spicy, sort of."

"It is a natural sleep aide, of sorts." I shrug and sip from my own mug, setting it down gently in front of me before leaning on the table with my elbows and clasping my hands together. "Tell me what you see."

Tali cries a bit more while she explains the memories. The Marines dying around her, the screaming and gunfire in her ears from the suit's speakers- calls for help over the Comm system.

"And the whole time, I'm thinking-what is the point of all this?" She hiccups and rubs her faceplate where her forehead would be. "Countless marines dead, scientists, my _people_." She bows her head and rolls her shoulders in a familiar gesture.

She looks up and catches me smiling at her, though I smooth my expression as quickly as I can. She would ask. "What?" She does.

"You seem to have to picked up a few of the Commander's mannerisms." I explain, though I cannot explain to myself why I find that endearing. Perhaps because of the implications. You only imitate people in such a way when you respect and love them, after all.

"Oh." She giggles, a high-pitched sound that is especially jagged with her sleep deprivation. "I spent my entire pilgrimage with her. My 'formative years' I suppose you'd say."

"Makes sense. What did Shepard say about all of this?" I ask, and peer into the cloudy glass of her faceplate.

"She said it was a waste of good people and resources, that my people are run by politicians as much as anyone else and I should do what she does." She giggles again. "Do what I want, save the people I want and tell them to kiss their own-well, you know."

A small chuckle escapes me. "That does sound like her."

"But Shepard is exceptional." Tali sighs. "She doesn't understand that some people just aren't that proficient or durable. I'm...I'm not her."

"Hm." I shift my weight and lean my chin on my folded hands. "I don't believe she wants you to be. She seems quite happy for you to be who you are. And as for the memories." I lean back in my seat and sigh. "Focus less on the lives lost in the past and more on the ones you will save in the future. When their faces assail you, try to think of how you are making certain it will never happen again."

"I'm sure that's what Shepard would tell me, and I've tried..." She wrings her hands together.

"Stop blaming yourself." I tell her. "That is the first step. You were a soldier following orders like any of the rest of them. And Shepard _is_ different. You needn't hold yourself to her standards for chaos and mischief making."

She giggles again. "'Chaos and mischief making.'"

I smile a little, allowing it to show. "What else would you call it?"

She hums and tilts her head, blinking at me. "Thank you."

"If you need to speak further, I am in Life Support." I stand and pick up my mug. "Though I'm certain Shepard would be thrilled if you chose to confide in her instead."

...

Shepard P.O.V.

Tali and Kasumi invited me to the Observation deck for drinks and girl talk. Kelly and the rest of the female elements on the ship were invited, though I'm sure a few of them will beg off.

I walk in to see Tali, Kasumi, Jack and Kelly. Jack surprises me. "Jack? I didn't think you were the girl talk type."

"I'm as much of an emotional vampire as the rest of you bitches." Jack laughs and takes a shot. "Plus, Kasumi stole some good stuff."

"Did she." I walk over and search the bottles for something interesting.

"I got something special to mix drinks for you, Shep." Kasumi winks and bounces around the bar. She mixes a small amount of clear liquor with something in a small...is that a dropper?

"Kasumi, what's-" I blink at the label, wishing my translator worked without a visor or helmet.

"Just a drop." She drops the oddly shimmering substance into the clear alcohol and fills the rest with some vibrant blueberry flavored liquor. "Here you go, Shep!"

Everyone is watching me. I don't know why, but I shrug and take the shot. I almost choke and force the shot down with a harsh swallow. The flavor is sweet and smooth, but there's a burn and an almost...wow. I don't know how to describe it.

"Whoo!" Jack claps her hands. "Building up an immunity."

"What?" I turn and blink. "Why are you purple?"

Kelly giggles. "Tell her what it was, Kasumi!"

"You tell her, Kelly!" Kasumi lands on the couch next to Kelly and nudges her.

Tali is shaking her head and sighing. "It's my fault, Shepard."

"What is?" I'm sure it's not poison or some kind of drug, though I can't find any other explanation for the rainbow I'm currently experiencing.

"I spoke with Thane just a few nights ago." She explains, fidgeting. "He helped me with my nightmares, made me tea."

I laugh a little and slouch into the couch next to her and across from the rest of them. "He's a nice guy, once you get past the whole 'he could kill me with a single finger twitch' thing. What about him?"

Kasumi and Kelly giggle at me, for reasons I don't understand.

"Well, he and I talked about you a little." She hums nervously and picks at her suit. "He seemed...fond."

"What she means is:" Jack gets up and grabs a bottle of Jack Daniels, knocking some back before going on. "Tali thinks the Assassin has the hots for you, so the thief found some Drell Venom for mixing a cocktail."

I blink at her for a moment before erupting in laughter. "You're joking! Tell me you're joking!"

A guy like Thane? Into me? God, that's almost sadly hilarious.

"It isn't that far-fetched." Kelly bites her bottom lip. "I mean, if you're into males and aliens, you could do a lot worse."

"At least in the looks department." Kasumi sighs dreamily. "Jacob is more my type, but I won't deny that Thane is...sleek? Is that the word?"

"It's one word for it." Jack scoffs. "I'm not that into aliens and _I'd_ give it a shot."

"Yes, yes- Thane is sexy, we all know that- what you are not explaining is why you think he's interested in _me_." I give Tali a sideways look. "Do you actually think so?"

"Is that genuine interest, Shepard?" Kelly is beaming and sipping a vibrant pink drink. "I didn't think he was exactly your type. But you don't seem interested in anyone on the ship, so I have no one to measure against."

"She liked Garrus." Tali offers and I smack her in the arm. "Ow! What, you did! Just because you decided to be friends again-"

"Ohhhh, that makes so much sense." Kasumi hums in amusement and sips her own dark purple drink. "Shep's got a thing for bad boys and renegades then."

"I do not!" I deny. "Garrus is nowhere near the level of a renegade or bad boy...unless it's the bad boy with a heart of gold." I grudgingly admit. "I only tried to date him because we were so close I mistook intimacy and trust for romantic interest."

"Ah, then you didn't find that hot-headed, passionate Turian attractive?" Kelly thinks she's trapping me, I can see it in her eyes.

"Do you?" I lift a brow and smirk. "Of course Garrus is attractive, but that doesn't mean I'm _attracted_ to him romantically."

Kelly is still blushing, but she pouts and answers all the same. "Of course I think he's attractive. Silver and blue, piercing eyes, that _voice_. Though...Thane's voice is a lot lower and rougher." She contemplates. "I can't decide which I like better."

"The Assassin's voice is good, but the Vigilante is smooth in a cocky way." Jack laughs and knocks back some more Jack Daniels. "I don't normally go for the quiet guys. The Turian is controlled, so you wanna mess him up. The Assassin seems like he might already _be_ messed up, you just gotta hang on for the ride."

Jack likes to be in control, I've noticed- so that makes more sense than it seems to.

"Hm." Kasumi ponders. "I believe I prefer Thane's voice to Garrus's. Rough always gets me." She smiles.

I agree, silently.

Tali shakes her head. "It isn't about smooth or rough. Which one could you imagine whispering sweet nothings in your ear and making your knees weak? Which one really curls your toes?" She giggles. "I'd have to go with Garrus."

I give her the eyebrow. "What about Kal'Reegar?"

She chuckles. "If _he's_ in the running, then it's no contest."

"Ooooh, who are we talking about?" Kasumi demands video footage after that, though Tali and I only have a couple of conversations with him recorded from our suit cameras.

Everyone agrees, good voice _plus_ accent wins out.

Though I definitely have a new appreciation for Thane's deep rumble.


End file.
